Another gimmicky alcohol product should be watched

Published: Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 02:31 PM.

Alcohol has been in the news recently. This time it has taken the form of a powder initially approved for sale by the federal government.

As the Associated Press is reporting, that approval has hit some snags. It is unclear when or if powdered alcohol will get federal approval, but two things are clear: 1. the 21st amendment placed control of alcohol sales and distribution in the hands of the states. Since that time, North Carolina has been a model for alcohol control. I have no doubt that our state leadership, both elected and appointed, will not permit this product to be sold and, thankfully, no federal rule can compel our state to do so. 2. Alcohol-related harm gets far too little attention. Excessive alcohol consumption is the second-leading preventable cause of cancer and kills nearly 3,000 North Carolinians annually. Underage drinking kills more kids than all other drugs combined and those who begin drinking before 15 are five times more likely to develop abuse or dependence than those who wait until 21 or later.

I’m thankful we can count on our state regulatory system when gimmicky products arise, but we must become proactive. The Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization have published a set of model policies to prevent excessive drinking. Let’s put this powder behind us and move forward on those recommendations.

DYLAN ELLERBEEDurham

Dylan Ellerbee is executive director of the N.C. Alcohol Policy Alliance in Durham.

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published
without permission. Links are encouraged.

Alcohol has been in the news recently. This time it has taken the form of a powder initially approved for sale by the federal government.

As the Associated Press is reporting, that approval has hit some snags. It is unclear when or if powdered alcohol will get federal approval, but two things are clear: 1. the 21st amendment placed control of alcohol sales and distribution in the hands of the states. Since that time, North Carolina has been a model for alcohol control. I have no doubt that our state leadership, both elected and appointed, will not permit this product to be sold and, thankfully, no federal rule can compel our state to do so. 2. Alcohol-related harm gets far too little attention. Excessive alcohol consumption is the second-leading preventable cause of cancer and kills nearly 3,000 North Carolinians annually. Underage drinking kills more kids than all other drugs combined and those who begin drinking before 15 are five times more likely to develop abuse or dependence than those who wait until 21 or later.

I’m thankful we can count on our state regulatory system when gimmicky products arise, but we must become proactive. The Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization have published a set of model policies to prevent excessive drinking. Let’s put this powder behind us and move forward on those recommendations.

DYLAN ELLERBEEDurham

Dylan Ellerbee is executive director of the N.C. Alcohol Policy Alliance in Durham.